Srinagar: Eight policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector, were allegedly thrashed by Army personnel on Friday evening after they stopped an Army cavalcade at a check post in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, police said on Saturday.
A case has been registered against the Army personnel, a senior police official said. He said that a police station was also vandalised and records kept there were damaged. The pictures from the hospital showed that the policemen had received multiple injuries.
The incident took place when private vehicles, carrying plain-clothed Army personnel, were signaled to stop at the Sonamarg check post, police said. The Armymen were returning from Baltal base camp of Amarnath Yatra. They were asked to stop as the cut-off time for yatra vehicles had already passed.
No yatri is allowed to travel during night to ensure their security after the July 10 attack on pilgrim bus at Botengoo that left eight pilgrims dead and 19 others injured. However, the cavalcade did not stop and kept proceeding towards Ganderbal.
When the cavalcade was again stopped at the next check post at Gund, they got agitated and this reportedly led to an altercation. The Armymen allegedly ran amok and thrashed the police party leaving eight policemen injured.
Police said they also called their colleagues from the 24 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit, who barged into the Gund police station, ransacked it, damaged the records kept there, and assaulted the on-duty policemen.
Ghulam Rasool, the ASI who suffered head injuries in the assault, said that a check post is established in yatra jurisdiction every day at 6 pm till 6 am next day.
“They (troops) were in civvies and were traveling in four Sumo vehicles. They said they are from 24 Rashtriya Riffles and are going to the camp. I requested them that I will talk to my senior officers in this regard and then allow them to pass. They came down and attacked us. I was injured. Others were also beaten up black and blue. I was left unconscious and taken to hospital by civilians,” he said.
“Senior officers of the army reached the spot and they have assured us that they will hold court of inquiry into the matter. Anybody found involved in the matter will be brought to book”, said a senior police officer.
Jammu and Kashmir DGP, S P Vaid, tweeted that he has taken up the matter with the Corps Commander of 15 Corps, and said “he was prompt to depute senior army offices to police station Gund and assured action against erring army personnel.”
However, the Army played down the matter saying the issue has been resolved mutually by the two sides. “A minor altercation took place on Friday night between some Army personnel returning from Amarnath Yatra in civil dress and JKP personnel at Gund. No major injuries were suffered in the incident and the matter has been resolved by personal intervention of senior officers. Measures to prevent recurrence have been taken”, said Colonel Rajesh Kalia, defence spokesman at Srinagar.
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